Food Inc. Encore Showing at the Farm

If you weren't able to make it to Food, Inc., or if you loved it and want to see it again and invite a friend...

GO TO THE FARM FOR AN ENCORE SHOWING!

• Trader's Point Creamery
• Friday, December 4th, 8:30 pm
• Movie Night on the Farm - Food Inc.
• absolutely free!

With the recent video release, Food Inc. is back and has many in Indy talking about it again. Trader's Point Creamery is the perfect example of real local, organic food and it is appropriate that they are hosting Food Inc. at their farm. I am looking forward to making Friday a fun family night and hope to take home Trader's Point Creamery's egg nog I have heard so much about.

"You know, I don’t even talk about in the film [Food Inc.] whether GMOs are good for us or bad for us. But what I find so amazing is Monsanto saying we can’t feed the world without [their genetically modified seeds], but then they’ll do everything possible to stop you from knowing they’re in your food…. Shouldn’t your product speak for itself?"

Robert Kenner, director of Food Inc.

Healthy Thanksgiving Dinner Tips

Thanksgiving Dinner and "healthy"... three words that are usually not paired together. How many of us remember huge Thanksgiving dinners with traditional turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole and pies, pumpkin pie, apple pie, sweet potatoe pie. I remember eating so much (because it was all so good) and then feeling so full that all I wanted to do was take a nap.

Although we will be having Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends and all pitching in, I am hoping to make a few healthy changes this year...

First, consider supporting locally grown food. We will receive a wonderful assortment of locally grown organic produce from Farm Fresh Delivery. Farm Fresh Delivery is like a year-round farmer's market delivered direct to our door. It is a great way to support local farmers and it is very convenient. You can also look for locally or regionally grown food in your local grocery or visit Gatewoods Farm, located on Route 216 in Noblesville, for local produce and amish baked goods.

Second, consider adding a healthy twist to traditional recipes by swapping a few simple ingredients. Here are a couple suggestions I found...

* substitute skim milk or butter milk (butter milk has probiotics for healthy digestion).
* substitute 100% whole wheat or whole grain bread in stuffing recipes. Or consider quinoa, which is not only a complete protein but also an excellent source of magnesium, a mineral that’s often deficient in people with hypertension.
* a lighter version of sweet potatoe casserole... substitute pecons for the topping instead of marshmallows.

Here is a healthy alternative to store bought pie crusts

Pecan Nut Crust from AllRecipes.com
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups ground pecans
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar (I recommend raw sugar)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
1. Stir together ground nuts, cinnamon, and sugar. Mix in melted butter.
2. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch, deep-dish style, pie pan. Chill the unbaked crust in the refrigerator for about 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Place pie crust on a cookie sheet, and position on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. WATCH it carefully, as nut crusts burn easily; they DON'T have to turn black to taste burnt! Cool completely before filling.


Click here for a complete Healthy Thanksgiving Dinner meal plan with recipes.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Environmental Working Group Reports School Cleaning Products Making Children Sick

More and more families are making natural/safe choices when purchasing cleaning products for our homes. But a recent report by the Environmental Working Group reveals that our children may be at risk at school and that school cleaning products may be making our children sick.

Here is a portion of the EWG Report....

"Cleaning Supplies Can Contaminate Classroom Air
Ordinary school cleaning supplies can expose children to multiple chemicals linked to asthma, cancer, and other documented health problems and to hundreds of other air contaminants that have never been tested for safety, a study by the Environmental Working Group shows. Laboratory tests done for EWG found that a typical assortment of cleaning products released 457 distinct chemicals into the air.

EWG’s findings come at a time when childhood asthma and many childhood cancers are on the rise.

Lax labeling requirements mean that schools often don't know what they're purchasing. Many would be alarmed to learn that when used as directed, Comet Disinfectant Powder Cleanser, a product commonly used in both schools and private homes, released more than 100 air contaminants, including chloroform, benzene, and formaldehyde." Click here for full report.

Unfortunately, many schools are unaware of the danger to our health from many chemicals present in common cleaning products and even in some "greener" products. Current laws do not require manufacturing companies to test products for safety prior to releasing them for sale to the public. This is why it is so important to chose a company you can trust and who will not put profit before the safety of the consumer. As parents, we should work with schools to find all natural/safe cleaning products from trusted companies. Then, contact our local, state and national elected officials and let them know we expect them to put children first and protect them legislatively.

Junk Food Ads Directed at Kids

A recent study by the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior exposes what most parents already know... The Food Industry is targeting children heavily for unhealthy junk food ads. Researchers at the University of California Davis analyzed the type and frequency of food advertising on Saturday morning and weekday afternoon television for both English and Spanish American television programs.

“Study after study has documented the adverse health effects of food advertising targeting children and adolescents,” they wrote.

The study found that nearly a third of commercials on children’s networks were for food, compared to a fifth during programming for a general audience. The majority of these (70 percent) were for foods that were high in sugar or fat. Adolecent teenagers are not exempt and continue to be targeted with over 50% of advertising for fast food restaurants.

In addition, the researchers found that for every nutrition-based public service announcement, there were 63 advertisements for food products.

Parents can't wait for the food industry to get a concious... self regulation is not working. What can parents do to counteract these unhealthy junk food ads? #1.. Educate our children about the importance of a whole food diet and healthy lifestyle. Teach them that advertisers are financially motivated to lure them into using their products and their goal is to hook you as a regular/long term user. #2 Reduce or eliminate tv viewing and promote a positive influence on our children.

Lead in Face Paint

Halloween is considered one of the top holidays for kids of all ages and dressing up isn't just for the little kids anymore... My neighbor takes great pleasure in dressing up every year and giving trick-or-treaters a fun scare. This year I even had a few parents come dressed up while escorting their kids from house to house.

I love to see the different costumes and how cute the kids are but this year I couldn't help but think of all the kids and parents who had their face painted and may be exposed to lead and didn't even know it. A couple days ago the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics released a report about lead in face paint. Unfortunately there is a lack of safety regulations in the cosmetics industry in the U.S. It is scary but the report found lead, a neurotoxin that has been removed from gasoline and more recently many toys, in all 10 samples of face paint tested; there weren't any metals listed on the product ingredient label and 6 of the 10 products also contained Nickel, chromium, and cobalt which can trigger skin rashes with subsequent exposures.

Unfortuntely, this is not an isolated problem. Recent studies have also found lead in lipstick and again the problem is a lack of safety regulations in the U.S. cosmetic industry. Teenagers can be at a higher risk for exposure because they may be experimenting with make-up and re-applying often throughout the day. However, women of all ages are being exposed to chemicals and toxins in our cosmetics every day, leading to potential health risks like birth defects and cancer.

What can we do? First, tell your Congressional Representative to "Give the Cosmetics Industry a Make-over!". Join the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and sign the petition for Congress.

Until safety regulations are in place, avoid commercial face paints by making your own. Also, select safe chemical free cosmetics for every day use or that special night out for you and those you love and care about.

Stay Healthy During Cold and Flu Season Boost Your Immune System

Taking optimal care of our health and following some simple steps can help us stay healthy during cold and flu season. The key is to boost our immune system and keep it strong... here are a few simple guidelines:

*Wash your hands. This will decrease the chance of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth and other people. Avoid antibacterial soap, which actually does more harm than good, and use a pure, chemical-free soap.

*Eliminate sugar and processed foods from your diet. Sugar consumption has an immediate, debilitating effect on our immune system and can be hiding in places we may not expect like ketchup, fruit juice, jelly, etc. Read the labels and be conservative during the upcoming Halloween season.

*Optimize your vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked as a likely cause of seasonal flu viruses. Getting an optimal level of vitamin D in your diet and supplements will help you fight infections of all kinds.

*Boost your immune system naturally. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables every day and supplementing our diets by taking a natural whole food multi-vitamin for adults and children, and other immune building vitamins can reduce the chance of getting sick and shorten the duration when we do.

*Use Natural Antibiotics. Garlic is known for it's natural antibiotic properties and works like broad-spectrum antibiotics against bacteria and viruses in our body. Unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics, garlic does not appear to lead to resistance and will not depleat the good bacteria in our digestive tract. For children too young to swallow pills, you can crush the garlic and add it to applesauce or other soft food.

*Add Probiotics for their immune building benefits. Our immune system begins in our colon and requires a higher percentage of good vs. bad bacteria. We can increase food sources of probiotics by eating yogurt, sourkraut, buttermilk, kefir and supplement by taking a high quality, guaranteed delivery probiotic supplement.

*Exercise. Your immune system needs good circulation in order to perform at its best for you and exercise also reduces stress.

*Deal with stress effectively. When we are overwhelmed by stress, our bodies are less able to fight infection.

*Get plenty of good quality sleep.

Following these simple guidelines will keep our immune system in optimal working order so that we are far less likely to get the infection to begin with. However, if we do, our immune system will be able to fight and recover from the infection or virus more effectively.

Flu Vaccines and Thimerosal

Conversations at water coolers, coffee shops and social networking sites are all a buzz about who has the flu, how many kids are out in your school and whether you and your children are going to get the flu/H1N1 flu shot. There are a lot of opinions but here is an interview with Dr. Kent Holtorf, doctor and infectious disease expert, on Fox News talking about the risks of the flu shot, the lack of testing and that he would not give the vaccination to his children. Dr. Holtorf says the H1N1 vaccine has 25,000 times the level of mercury proven toxic if it was in food or water. Here is his interview:



Dr. Oz took the flu shot on his show, however he also disclosed that it is mandated because of his employment. In another interview, he disclosed that his wife and children will not be taking the vaccine.

If you decide to vaccinate, ask your doctor about thimerosal (a common preservative and known neurotoxin) and ask for thimerosal free vaccinations. The children’s flu vaccine contains 12.5 mcg of mercury. According to the National Vaccine Information Center, this level of mercury is not considered safe for persons weighing less than 275 lbs. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention urged vaccine makers to remove thimerosal because of potential neurological damage.

I believe it is a personal choice to vaccinate but I will be abstaining from the Flu Vaccine for myself and family.